Although Abraham Lincoln encountered a number of disappointments with his Army commanders, a noted historian says the nation's 16th president was generally effective in dealing with Naval commanders. Dr. Craig L. Symonds of the U-S Naval Academy says high-ranking officers in the Navy weren't selected as political appointments like some Army officers were.

Symonds will be speaking at the University of Evansville on October 26th. The award-winning author spoke with WKU Public Radio about Lincoln's role as commander of the Navy.